1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to tools, and particularly to automotive type hand tools utilized to disassemble the universal joint of a motor vehicle.
2. Description of Prior Art
There are many different types of tools utilized by mechanics to perform specialized functions. For instance, a bench vise may be utilized to impose pressure on an article placed between the jaws thereof. However, a bench vise is not ordinarily portable and constitutes merely a make-shift if it is attempted to use such a vise to disassemble a universal joint. There are various types of bearing and wheel pullers that are designed to be attached to a bearing or wheel that is to be removed from a supporting structure, but these are not suitable for disassembly of a universal joint of the type that is usually found on the drive shaft of a motor vehicle. Accordingly, one of the principal objects of the present invention is the provision of a tool specifically designed for use in conjunction with a universal joint as it is found on the drive shaft of a motor vehicle, and the utilization of that tool to disassemble or remove the universal joint from the drive shaft.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a tool for the disassembly of an automotive universal joint which is designed to impose sufficient pressures to disassemble the universal joint while simultaneously supporting the yoke within which the universal joint is mounted.
Due to modern technology and modern materials, automotive universal joints enjoy a long life. However, an automotive universal joint is located on an automobile, truck or tractor in such a location that it is subjected to many different types of abuses. These include submersion in water, freezing temperatures, heat, impact shocks from the drive train itself and impact shocks from objects lying in the roadway. Through the passage of time and the abuses to which it is subjected, a universal joint will occasionally be damaged to the point where it must be replaced. Because of the length of time it has remained in service, it frequently occurs that the universal joint is particularly difficult to remove because of corrosion and rust formed between mating parts. Accordingly, it is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a hand tool, portable in nature, inexpensive to manufacture yet effective for disassembling a universal joint from a drive shaft quickly and safely.
The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be apparent from the following description and the drawings. It is to be understood however that the invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated and described since it may be embodied in various forms within the scope of the appended claims.